THE STAFF at Downing Street must have felt some trepidation as they threw open the doors of No 10 to political editors and their partners for a drinks party this week. Among our number were the journalists who brought you Cheriegate, the row about Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother’s funeral, and allegations that the Prime Minister lied about the case for war. Between us we had brought the Blairs misery aplenty.

Yet Tony, and more heroically, Cherie, greeted us all like long-lost friends. The presence of partners did ease the tension, but perhaps thanks only to the diplomacy of those who chose to stay away, such as the columnist who has called for Mr Blair to resign and the Prime Minister’s former close aide who is said to be loathed by Cherie. Potentially awkward indeed, yet despite all this, the party went off flawlessly.

There were the odd comic moments. I spotted one broadsheet political editor frantically waving at Cherie to steer her away from a hack who works for a paper she is known to despise. If only he had kept her away from me I would have avoided her crushing remarks about my appearance. “Did you buy that yourself?” she inquired on catching sight of my admittedly rather loud tie. When I nodded feebly, she declared with a grin that that was why she did not let Tony buy his. My wife beamed appreciatively. The evening was deemed a triumph.

Both the politicians and the media are going to have to be careful that they don’t bore the electorate — let alone themselves — to death long before the vote is held. A book by John Lloyd contains a stark warning. What the Media are Doing to Our Politics argues that the media are destroying public faith in politics by creating stories rather than reporting on them; focusing on personalities not on policy; confusing comment with fact and overlaying the whole with a mix of sneering, cynicism and suspicion. It is a thought-provoking thesis but one that needs to be challenged. I look forward to doing so in an Oxford Union debate with John in a few weeks’ time.

At ITV News and, no doubt, at the BBC and Sky, there is already a huge amount of thought being put into how we make coverage of the next election engaging and informative. As ever, posing the question is easy. Answering it is a very different matter.

My fascination with such men is clearly shared by the Prime Minister though he doesn’t merely read about them. Mr Blair talks fondly, if warily, of his summer stay with “Silvio” — a man whom he says he trusts. If you add to Silvio the names Vladimir Putin and George Bush you have the list of world leaders Mr Blair is closest too, a list that would keep any psychoanalyst very busy.

Nick Robinson is political editor of ITV News

nick.robinson@thetimes.co.uk

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